Fostering effective energy transition

Vo Tien Dung, vice director of Hanoi-based Halcom Vietnam, said his business has been cooperating with German, Finnish and Japanese companies for the last 23 years, but has yet to find the best technologies to deal with Vietnam’s waste problems. It is difficult to treat typically unsorted and highly humid waste in Vietnam. For example, trash in Europe has a humidity level of around 20%, while trash in Vietnam could have a humidity level of 60-70%, he added. Even the ongoing waste-to-energy plants in Hanoi and Can Tho would need more time so their effectiveness could be evaluated, Dung said. Treating unsorted trash without the same humidity conditions as in other countries would make it hard to meet efficiency and emission standards, he added. Nguyen Quang Huan, member of the National Assembly’s Committee for Science, Technology and the Environment, said he was concerned about waste-to-energy plants. He said such technology still produces pollutants, and is merely cleaning the … [Read more...] about No ideal waste treatment technology for Vietnam yet

The city's mayor has asked local authorities to speed up the vaccination campaign amid surging infections. Hanoi's authorities have been asked to give Covid-19 vaccine booster shots to local residents as soon as possible, according to a decision signed on August 9 by Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Tran Sy Thanh. On August 9, Vietnam saw a record high in three months of 2,300 new cases in a single day, lifting up the country’s total infections to more than 11,350,000, including more than 43,000 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH). The move was made as the caseload with new strains BA.04 and BA.05 in the city is increasing and that vaccination against Covid-19 is an effective and strategic measure in disease prevention and control, stated the document. Local authorities have been asked to urge high-risk and vaccine-hesitant people to complete the two-dose vaccination and ramp up at-home inoculations for homebound people who are aged above 50 with … [Read more...] about Hanoi accelerates Covid-19 vaccination for all locals

Vietnam’s digital transformation is designed to be based on three main pillars namely institution, infrastructure, and manpower. Digital transformation plays a major role in building an independent and integrated economy, Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh made the statement today. The country should not remain outside this process and building successful digital-based economy and society needs to begin with e-government, Chinh, who is also Chairman of the National Committee for Digital Transformation, said at the committee’s 3rd meeting on August 9. The event drew the participation of more than 130,000 officials nationwide, including Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam and many cabinet members, to discuss the application of population data and electronic identification and authentication for national digital transformation in the 2022-2025 period with a vision to 2030. Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the national meeting on digital … [Read more...] about Digital transformation matters a lot to economic integration: Vietnamese PM

The whole military has built 1,769 gratitude houses, worth more than VND 141 billion, for national contributors and policy beneficiaries across the country. The Ministry of National Defense alone has donated VND 6 billion to assist the construction of 75 gratitude houses for national contributors. In addition, defense agencies and military units currently take care of 1,489 heroic Vietnamese mothers and foster 121 children of wounded and sick soldiers. They have presented 505 savings books, worth more than VND 5 million, to national contributors and policy beneficiaries. Apart from that, units in the whole military have bought medical equipment and facilities for convalescent centers for national contributors and provided military uniforms for wounded soldiers who are being treated at centers. Furthermore, in response to the movement of building gratitude fund in 2022, defense agencies and units have mobilized different sources to donate an estimated amount of VND 92 billion. … [Read more...] about Military units well carry out gratitude work

Kuala Lumpur – Finance Minister Zafrul Aziz has said Malaysia's inflation may reach around 11 percent if the government does not implement subsidies for essential items like fuel. Finance Minister Zafrul Aziz has said Malaysia's inflation may reach around 11%. (Photo: theedgemarkets.com) The minister told the press that Malaysia's inflation is forecast to be 2.2 percent -3.2 percent. In fact, for the first six months of the year, inflation was around 2.5 percent, and that was largely due to the large size of subsidies that the government introduced. Malaysia's inflation, as measured by the consumer price index, increased 3.4 percent year-on-year in June, led by costlier food, the Department of Statistics Malaysia said on July 22. Nonetheless, Tengku Zafrul acknowledged that the current blanket subsidy policy is not sustainable for the country, but it is necessary for economic recovery in the short term. The government is managing the economy cautiously, and the … [Read more...] about Malaysia’s inflation may hit double digits: Finance Minister

Bangkok – Thai businesses have set their sights on expanding trade and investment in Cambodia, especially in processed food, agriculture, tourism, renewable energy, plastic, and gems and jewellery. The Aranyaprathet-Poipet border gate of Thailand and Cambodia (Photo: Asia News) Sanan Angubolkul, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC), said Cambodia is seeing average economic growth of 7 – 8% per year as a result of the country opening up to foreign direct investment. Cambodia has been trying to develop its tourism and agricultural sectors, but the country still lacks sufficient knowledge and modern technology, especially in terms of storage and processing in order to increase values. This offers a very good opportunity for Thai businesses to forge joint investments with Cambodian counterparts in many sectors as above, according to Sanan, who is also chairman of the Board of Trade of Thailand. He led the first post-pandemic visit to Cambodia by more than 60 … [Read more...] about Thai businesses eye expanding trade, investment in Cambodia

Hanoi - The Ministry of Transport has approved the Vinh-Nha Trang railway renovation and upgrade project under the North-South railway with a total investment of over 1.2 trillion VND (51.3 million USD) from 2022 to 2025. The Vinh-Nha Trang railway will be upgraded with a total investment of over 1.2 trillion VND (Photo: sggp.org.vn) The Railway Project Management Board under the Ministry of Transport was assigned to be investors in upgrading projects of roads, bridges and stations with a total length of nearly 1,000km. The project aimed at ensuring traffic safety, improving the quality of railway connectivity, enhancing the capacity of transport, creating favourable conditions for luring customers and cargo, and effectively exploiting railway infrastructure in the section of Vinh-Nha Trang. According to the Ministry of Transport’s investment decision, the project capital is from the State budget in the medium-term public investment plan for the period 2021-2025. … [Read more...] about 51.3 million USD invested in Vinh – Nha Trang railway renovation, upgrade project

Hanoi (VNA) - The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency on August 9. - The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has asked the Prime Minister about the mechanism for ongoing solar power and transitional wind power projects to enjoy the incentive price. In a recent document sent to the PM, the MoIT suggested investors of those projects negotiate electricity prices and power purchase and sale contracts with Vietnam Electricity (EVN). Read full story Read full story Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) - Vietnam will need a skilled workforce to transform itself into an upper-middle-income economy by 2035, the World Bank has suggested in its recently-released report named “Taking Stock: Educate to Grow”. Read full story Read full story The new passport version of Vietnam (Photo: Vietnam Government Portal) The granting and use of the new passport will be among the issues about which Minister of Public Security Gen. … [Read more...] about ☕ Afternoon briefing on August 9

P/S of Unilever Vietnam and the Viet Nam Odonto-Stomatology Association have announced a collaboration agreement to prolong the Protecting Vietnamese Smiles programme to 2027. The programme is a component of a strategic partnership between the two parties to enhance oral health and reduce oral diseases by 10 per cent in Viet Nam between 2022 and 2027. Under the collaboration, the two sides will strengthen education on appropriate oral hygiene habits including organising communication initiatives to inspire 20 million people to properly brush their teeth day and night to prevent oral health issues. In addition, they will co-ordinate to implement the School Dentistry programme to directly approach and spread the formation of healthy daily brushing habits to 2.6 million primary and preschool children The oral health checks among the community will also be organised with free dental examinations and consultations for 100,000 children and the elderly. The two sides will develop … [Read more...] about P/S extends collaboration with Vietnam Odonto-Stomatology Association

Head of the Party Central Committee’s Economic Commission Tran Tuan Anh chaired the meeting and Senior Lieutenant General Pham Hoai Nam, Deputy Minister of National Defense, attended the event. Speaking at the meeting, Chairman cum General Director of the Viettel Group Senior Colonel Tao Duc Thang briefed the delegation on Viettel production and business situation, especially difficulties and shortcomings that the group is facing. Meanwhile, Gen. Thang proposed new mechanisms and policies on high-tech development, digital transformation, and foreign investment, and then the project’s steering committee would implement effective and appropriate policies on modernization and industrialization in the time to come. For his part, Mr. Tran Tuan Anh spoke highly of the remarkable achievements gained by Viettel over the past years. According to him, Viettel is the first enterprise to work with the Central Steering Committee for developing the project. It has shown the important role of … [Read more...] about Central Economic Commission works with Viettel